‘EagleCam’ eagle egg breaks
(Credit: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources)
One of the two bald eagle eggs on the “EagleCam” has broken, officials announced Wednesday.
According to a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources spokesperson, the male and female were switching incubation duties on Tuesday when the male rose with one egg stuck to his brood patch, an area of bare skin that all adult eagles have in order to incubate their eggs.
The DNR said it’s unclear if the egg was already broken when the male stood up or if it happened earlier.
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Eagle eggs need to be incubated at 99 degrees Fahrenheit to remain fertile.
The eagle laid its first egg on Feb. 15 and its second on Feb. 18. The second egg is believed to be intact.
The eagle couple will continue to incubate their single egg for 34-39 days.
The DNR recognized how unfortunate it is to lose an egg but noted that this will increase the remaining egg’s chances of survival. The survival rate of eagle chicks to flight is 50%.